The Douglas Johns Trophy returns to Harewood Downs Golf Club today, with another outstanding field of the country’s leading under-15 golfers set to compete in one of the most prestigious events on the junior golfing calendar. First played in 1993, the championship has earned a reputation as a proving ground for future stars of the game, with many former winners progressing to the professional ranks.
Among the most famous names to have lifted the trophy is Justin Rose, who claimed the title in 1995 before going on to become a U.S. Open Champion, Olympic Gold Medallist and Ryder Cup star. Other distinguished champions include Oliver Fisher (2003), Marco Penge (2013), Alex Fitzpatrick (2014) and Kris Kim (2021), all of whom have continued their development at the highest levels of the game. The event has long been recognised as a showcase for the next generation of golfing talent.
Despite a couple of late dropped shots, Sebastian Mitchell (Royal Ascot) went out early and set the pace with a score of 68 (-1). Only one other player broke par, Tiago Fernandes (Wellow), who put together a superb round of golf (65) to take the lead on -4. With 8 players all bubbling around par with 18 holes to go, it was set to be a thrilling event with many players still in with a chance of lifting the trophy.
The temperature cooled as the afternoon progressed but that didn’t stop the boys from burning up the course. Will Furness (Ringway) carded 7 birdies and an eagle on his way to shooting 63 (-6) – a phenomenal score. Sebastian was unable to match his morning round as he dropped down the leaderboard. Tiago continued his fine form into the afternoon, even though some putts didn’t drop he was able to keep in contention shooting 71 (+2). Despite shooting 63, Will came up one shot shy of Tiago. Congratulations to Tiago who was crowned the Douglas Johns Trophy winner – he joins a very prestigious list of winners.
Thank you to Harewood Downs who continue to host such a fantastic event and it’s proven success has drawn players from all over the country.
We look forward to following the success of the players throughout the season.
Click here to view the full leaderboard.
